Beckwood Press Co has been awarded a contract by Diverse Metal Products (DMP) to manufacture a 2500-ton hydraulic forming press.

Scheduled for delivery later this year, the press will be used to make embossed heat exchanger plates in nuclear missile tubes for the US Navy.
The custom press will feature an eight-point square gib guidance system that is fully adjustable left-to-right and front-to-back to minimise lateral movement under load. The 1.2 x 1.65 m bed and ram bolsters will be machined to accommodate DMP’s existing tooling. Safety features include light curtains on the front opening, fixed polycarbonate guarding on the rear, and a UL-certified electrical enclosure.
Like every Beckwood press, DMP’s new machine includes several uptime-focused features. For instance, the structure is engineered for ‘infinite life’ using FEA software, while dual linear and pressure transducers offer reliability and redundancy. In addition, Beckwood’s proprietary PressLink module facilitates fast, complementary remote support.
“We are proud to support companies like DMP, who supply critical components to the US military,” says Josh Dixon, Beckwood’s director of sales and marketing. “Our unwavering commitment to engineering and manufacturing presses in the US results in safe, reliable machinery and gives every Beckwood customer a competitive advantage.”
“DMP is proud to partner with Beckwood on this project,” adds John Keith, one of DMP’s owners. “Selecting a US manufacturer to help us support the US Nuclear Navy was our number one objective. Beckwood has done what they said they would. We are excited to deploy this asset in the coming months.”
For further information www.beckwoodpress.com

IEF Werner says that its aiPRESS differs from other brands of servo press in that it features a torsion-resistant steel C-frame with precise ram guidance that absorbs transverse forces.

This capability ensures the drive chain remains rigid throughout the cycle to eliminate positioning errors. Now, this concept has been further developed to provide system designers and machine builders with a flexible servo-press module that can be integrated into manual workstations and automatic assembly lines.
These new aiPRESS JM modules are available in the UK from RARUK Automation in three sizes with press forces of 3, 15 and 36 kN, and strokes of 75, 125 and 175 mm respectively. Maximum speed is 150 mm per second, while repeat accuracy is <0.002 mm. Although the stroke of each model is fixed, where it starts and stops is fully controllable and it can therefore be adjusted to suit the application. The module can also be installed in any orientation (vertically, inverted or horizontally) and combined with turntables or sliding tables. A choice of mounting components is available to provide this flexibility. Integration into any machine control system is easily achieved via standard protocols, or the module can be specified with IEF Werner’s aiQ-CONTROL. This intelligent force path monitor measures position and force, and illustrates the pressing process graphically and monitors its course. Another option is aiLIGHT intelligent process area lighting, which supports set-up and operation by changing from white to blue and green, to signify the process step. A red light alerts the operator to a failure. The aiPRESS JM modules are especially suited to fully automated handling and assembly lines, for example, as a precision pressing or joining station in an IEF Werner posyART transport system (also available from RARUK Automation). For further information www.rarukautomation.com

Atkin Automation, part of Group Rhodes, has added the newly developed Servo Rollfeed machine to its range.

The Atkin RF70-300 Servo Rollfeed, which is used for the control of steel strip, features variable widths from 150 to 450 mm, plus hardened rolls with a grit blast finish for added durability. RF70-300 Servo Rollfeed machines have a height-adjustable press mounting bracket, pneumatic pilot/strip release system and an electronic cambox.
The machine also includes multi-pitching software with ‘gag’ control to prevent blockages, and utilises Febrofen rolls for delicate materials. Pilot release, adjustable feed height, entry rolls and material side guides come as standard, with the options of motorised height adjustment and bespoke press or floor-standing brackets.
Geoff Barker, sales manager for Atkin Automation, says: “This is an exciting new addition to our range, which has many innovative features and benefits. We are looking forward to demonstrating it to industry over the coming months.”
All rolls are induction-hardened to minimise marking and improve longevity, and are equipped with run-in roller bearings with seals to reduce maintenance and improve cleanliness when running polished or coated materials.
All units are fully manufactured at the company’s Wakefield facility in West Yorkshire, which has a history of manufacturing and supplying these products that stretches back over 30 years.
Atkin Automation, originally WT Atkin, specialises in high-quality coil processing line equipment and has a long history of serving both UK and international markets, including the automotive, white goods and construction industries.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk

In sheet metal processing, ever greater flexibility of blanks is required for complex applications. Even with changing sheet thicknesses, demanding materials often have to be cut precisely and quickly. However, processing with separate cut-to-length and slitting lines is time-consuming and can only be carried out in several steps.

For this reason, Burghardt + Schmidt GmbH has developed multi-blanking systems that combine both work steps in a single run. As a result, even changing cut sizes can be carried out efficiently and with the highest quality in-house – without additional logistics costs. The systems enable a speed of up to 100 m/min with plug-in limits of over 1000 N/mm² and material strengths of over 1500 N/mm². Thanks to inspection measures, the new multi-blanking lines are particularly suitable for sensitive material surfaces such as stainless steel and aluminium strips.
“In order to avoid delays caused by external suppliers, many of our customers demand the integration of slitting shears into their cut-to-length lines in order to carry out a further work step in-house,” reports Thomas Baral, managing director of Burghardt + Schmidt. “Therefore, we have used the synergy effects of individual companies in the B+S group to develop flexible systems for these high-quality requirements.”
The B+S group multi-blanking lines combine a cut-to-length line with a slitting line and are designed for sheets with a material width of up to 2500 mm and a material thickness of 0.1 to 6.0 mm.
“Before the first cut, the coil is levelled and cut into longitudinal strips,” explains Baral. “These strips are then cut crosswise, resulting in up to five sheet blanks per segment in the desired length.”
For further information www.b-s-germany.de

Bilsing Automation GmbH, a supplier of automated tooling for press rooms and body shops, has implemented a digital transformation strategy across its design and build processes, helping customers achieve error-free launches in a shorter timeframe and improving the overall customer experience.

To achieve this outcome, Bilsing is leveraging automated product knowledge templates (PKTs), 3D visualisation and AR/VR technologies.
Applying PKTs to product development means Bilsing designers can capture corporate knowledge and standardise information within 3D engineering templates. These templates can then be re-used so that less time is spent on repetitive tasks and reinventing the wheel, and more time innovating. For Bilsing, this has enabled it to reduce product complexity, lower overall development costs and increase customer responsiveness. In studies comparing traditional methodologies by seasoned designers with novice designers using standardised templates, design time was reduced from 48 minutes to only two minutes – a 95% improvement.
From an assembly standpoint, the company has integrated AR/VR technologies into its processes using a HoloLens and employing a Human Interface Mate (HIM) that acts as a guide during the build process. By using AR, any items with IoT technology enable Bilsing technicians to get information from the company’s ERP system. The ERP provides immediate access to the object’s specification, inventory, location and lead time, as well as instructions and manuals.
Because AR is capable of overlaying the required part on to the component that the technician may pick up, it allows technicians to quickly discern whether they have the correct part by shape and designated number. A smart sensor validates execution and warns the operator as soon as a wrong procedure is in process. This functionality increases the worker’s efficiency, while reducing any potential for poor work quality.
For further information www.bilsing-automation.com